The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-11-18
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FISCUER'S LETTER

condemned to Governor Oglesby, of Illinois,
extracts from which are given:
FIsCHER's LETTER.
Cook COUNTY JAIL, CHICAGO, Nov. 1, 1887.
To Mr.. r. J. ogesby, Governor of the State Of
DEAR SRI am aware that petitions are being
circulated and signed by the general public ask
ing you to commute the sentence of death which
was inflicted upon me by q criminal court Of this
state. Anent this action of q sympathizing and
well meaning portion of the people, solemnly
honor, as q man of conscience and as a man OF
principle, cannot accept mercy. lam not guilty
Of the charge in the indictment-of murder. I
am no murderer, and cannot apologize for an &c.
tion of which know am innocent And should
ask ''mercy'" on account of my principles, which
am no hypocrite, and have, therefore, no excuses
to offer with regard to being an Anarchist, be-
cause the experiences of the past eighteen months
question is, Am responsible for the death of the
policemen at the Haymarket' and | say no, un-
been & he held respo.sibls iOr the deeds Of John
History repeats itself; As the, powers that be
the progressive tide by exterminating few
"sickers," so do the ruling class of today imagine
hat they can pns ~ stop 70 the @ ~ M 9I
Gates. Progress in its victorious march has had
to overcome many obstacles which seemed in.
the death of martyrs. The obstacles which bar
the road of progress today seem to be invncible,
too, but they Will be overcome nevertheless.
At all times when the condition Of society has
become such that a large portion of the people
complained Of the existing injustice, the ruling
classes have denied the truth of these complaints,
but have said that the discomfort Of the portion
of the people in question was due ouly TO the
perniclous lnfsence OF malicious aGitators
Today, again, some people assert that the ''d-d
agitators" are the cause OF the immense dissatls-
faction among the working people.
oh, you people who speak thus, can You not OF
will tpit mt ran ~ tiTnag2
not see that the clouds on the social armament
are thickeningf Are you not, for instance, aware
that the control OF industry and OF the means OF
transportation, etc, is constantly concentrating
In fewer hands; that the monopolists, l. e., the
sharps among the capitalists, swallow the little
ones among them; that trusts" pools" and
other combinations are being formed in order to
more thoroughly and systematically fleece the
people; that under the present system the de-
| velopment of technic and machinei is from year
to year throwing more worlanen on the waysdei
that in some parts of this great and fertile land
majority of the farmers are obliged to mort gage
their homes in order to satisfy the greed of mon
strous corporations; that, in short the rich are
constantly growing richer and the poor poorer
Yes, and do you not comprehend that all these
evils find their origin in the present institution OF
society which allows one portion of the human
| race to build fortunes upon the misfortunes OF
| others-to enslave their fellow menS
Instead of trying to remedy these evils, and in
stead of ascertaining just what the cause Of the
| widening dissatisfaction is, the ruling classes
through their mouthpieces-press, pulpit, etc
defame and misrepresent the character, teach
lnSS ana motives OF tne advocates OF social recon
struction, and use the rifle and the club on them
and If the opportunity is favorable, send them 4
| the gallows and prisons VIII this do any good
| AS an answer may well quote the following
words with which Benjamin Franklin closed hi
satirical essay, Rules for Reducing Great EN-
pire to a Small One,n which he dedicated TO th
English government In 1n6: Suppose all thei
Uhe 'kickersO complaints to be invented and pro
NOTED by few factious demagogues, whom
you could catch and hang all would be quiet
Catch and hang few accordingly and the bloo
of the martyrs shall work miracles in favor o
| your purpose" u. G., your own ruin)